THE CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 67 



litter, and pieces of cornstalks, (Indian corn,) were mixed 

 with it, and it was considered very coarse for the purpose ; 

 the depth of the soil was about eighteen inches, and the bot- 

 tom covered with rocks, as the situation was a wet one. 



I have frequently suffered vines of the Black Hamburgh, 

 White and Grizzly Frontignan, Zinfindal, and other sorts, to 

 bear fruit the second year from the eye, and have exhibited 

 bunches of the last named variety at the rooms of the Massa- 

 chusetts Horticultural Society, thus grown, which have 

 weighed between two and three pounds. Vines from Europe, 

 after growing one season only, have also been fruited, when it 

 has been particularly desired to prove the correctness of the 

 plant. But, in almost every instance, the vines have been 

 injured by it ; the imported ones the most so. 



The border, he recommends, should be prepared in a diifer- 

 ent manner from that advised by myself. But it must be 

 remembered, that, although we have more rain in this country 

 than they have in England, yet the wet, cloudy, and foggy 

 weather there is very much greater than in the United States 

 of America ; (the foggy weather in the province of New Bruns- 

 wick undoubtedly approaches that of England more nearly). 

 Therefore, is of questionable utihty, the plan of main and 

 cross drains. In America, the proportion of bright sunshiny 

 days is much greater, also, than in England, producing severe 

 droughts ;* and, as the vine cannot succeed in producing su- 



* In Loudon's Magazine, page 303, for the year 1833, is a horticultural diary. By 

 this, it appears that, at the place of record in England, the weather of that year was 

 132 fine clear days, 83 cloudy, and 130 when it rained or snowed some part of the 

 day. 



At Salem, the average of fliree years is, 219 fine clear days, 66 cloudy, 80 rainy 

 or snowy, showing the difference, in the United States, of 66 days more of sunshine, 

 30 days less rainy or snowy, and 17 days less of cloudy weather. 



Notwithstanding this difference in the weather, the average quantity of rain which 

 annually falls is greater in the United States than in England ; there, the mean av- 

 erage is 31 J inches ; in Salem, Mass., United States, 39 inches. 



The time of the year in which the grape is usually ripening, under glass structures, 

 embraces seven months, say from March to November ; during this period, in 184;5, 

 there fell, at Salem, 24 61-100 inches ; in 1846, 16 97-100 inches ; in 1847, 27 49-100 

 inches. Li the month of September, 1847, there fell 6| inches, the greatest quantity 



